The Boston Globe Editorial Board calls for “more urgency” in closing Boston Latin’s diversity gap, citing the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice: “There is simply nothing meritorious about a public school admissions policy that favors those who can pay for private test preparation,” said Matt Cregor, the Education Project Director of the

On April 12th, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) dedicated one of its Centennial Lectures to addressing racial disparities in school discipline. Dr. Russ Skiba, whose research on this subject has significantly shaped efforts to counter the School-to-Prison Pipeline, delivered the lecture. Matt Cregor, LCCR’s Education Project Director, served as commentator. You can watch the video here.

Responding to Unprecedented Civil Rights Challenges The federal government has all but abandoned its commitment to enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws. The federal government is impeding progress in voting rights and police accountability cases. Right now, immigrants and refugees are being detained and interrogated in airports. Overnight, we’ve had to create a shield to

According to new data released by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, one-year after implementing Massachusetts’ new school discipline law, out-of-school suspension rates are climbing slightly, but especially for students of color, English Language Learners, and Students with Disabilities. The Enterprise: “Racial Disparity Remains in School Suspension Rates” “The last thing we want

On October 25, 2016, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office kicked off an advisory council geared towards promoting racial justice and equity in Massachusetts. The new council is made up of leaders and advocates from organizations across the state. Our executive director, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, a member of the new council, was featured on Mass Live, the

In a letter issued today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice called on Amazon to reverse recently-implemented employment policies that bar qualified individuals from being Amazon delivery drivers based not on job performance, but rather solely on past contact with the criminal justice system. In the Boston area, these new policies have

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Civil Rights Groups’ Statement on Finding by U.S. Attorney that Boston Latin School Violated Federal Civil Rights Law Groups Behind Federal Complaint Urge City to Use Agreement to Improve the Racial Climate of Every Boston School Boston, MA: Today, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz found that Boston Latin School (BLS)

The Lawyers’ Committee this week called upon the State’s Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) to limit its equal opportunity program for public contracting to only those minority groups for which there is documented discrimination. Massachusetts’ “affirmative marketing program” is a critical means of ensuring that minority-owned businesses have equal opportunity to compete for public contracts. However, if groups for which